STATISTICAL EVALUATION OF GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY FOR THE DETERMINATION OF DISSOLVED GASES IN SEA WATER.

Abstract

A gas chromatographic method developed by the authors for the determination of dissolved gases in sea water has been evaluated with respect to precision and accuracy by comparison with other methods. Both laboratory and shipboard measurements were employed in the evaluation. Dissolved oxygen analyses made at sea under routine conditions of operation over a period of two weeks indicate statistically significant differences in precision for the three methods tested: gas chromatography (plus or minus 1.8%), standard Winkler method (plus or minus 1.0%), and a modification of the Winkler method (plus or minus 0.51%). No significant bias was found between gas chromatography and the improved Winkler method; a small but statistically significant bias (-1%) was found for the standard Winkler method relative to the other two. From a practical point of view, these differences are not considered important for routine survey operations. The dissolved N2 data obtained by gas chromatography are grouped about a mean value of 100% saturation, with approximately 95% of the values falling within (100 plus or minus 5)% saturation. The advantages of gas chromatography (routine analyses by relatively nonskilled personnel to obtain simultaneous measurements of more than one gas on a small volume of liquid) are felt to be sufficient to warrant its further use in oceanography. (Author)

Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Feb 02, 1966
Accession Number
AD0628916

Entities

People

  • C. H. Cheek
  • J. W. Swinnerton
  • V. J. Linnenbom

Organizations

  • United States Naval Research Laboratory

Tags

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Accuracy
  • Chromatography
  • Dissolved Gases
  • Gas Chromatography
  • Gases
  • Liquids
  • Measurement
  • Precision
  • Saturation
  • Sea Water
  • Standards
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Water

Readers

  • Agricultural Chemistry/Soil Science
  • Combustion and Flow Dynamics.
  • Systems Analysis and Design